Start of Something
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: When Hermione is hit by a quaffle at work, she is sent hurtling into a future that she never even knew she wanted. What will she learn from the family she never expected while she finds a way back? One-shot. Complete!


A/N: Here is a longer oneshot for Marcus May! I am so excited that it's finally here. I will also be posting the first chapter of a multi-chapter later this week, also Flintmione. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, answer questions, and post story updates.

I would love love love to hear what you thought of this!

* * *

"I'm late." Hermione whispered under her breath, heels clicking against the long hallway in the Quidditch stadium, trying to make her way out onto the pitch. If there was one thing Hermione hated, it was tardiness, not to mention on the first game of the season! She was certain she was not making a very good impression on her new bosses, the Falmouth Falcons.

It was Harry who had suggested the job to her, after he saw the way that she was running herself ragged working at St. Mungo's as a healer. He understood that she still wanted to help people, just that...well, she needed a little time for herself, too. After all, that's why he'd quit the auror academy halfway in, and instead tried tried out for professional Quidditch, easily making the squad of the Falmouth Falcons, playing seeker.

The squad was looking for a healer, and Harry thought that it would be a good fit for her, to give her some time to herself. It was an easy gig, according to Harry. Mostly just showing some physical therapy, overseeing ice baths, and patching up some scrapes and bruises. During the games, things would get a bit more dicey, and it was enough to keep Hermione's healer skills sharp. Hermione had accepted the job, and most of the team really enjoyed having her there, even though some of the team was a bit gruffer.

She could hear the roar of the crowd, and she gathered from the announcer that they were just introducing the home team now, which meant that the team was still in warm ups. Letting herself breath a bit, she felt better that she hadn't missed the start. It wouldn't do to have someone get hurt and not have the team healer there.

When she stepped out onto the pitch, she watched Harry do some barrel rolls with his broom, and some more daring dives. The chasers were passing the quaffle back and forth, while the beaters were batting the bludger back and forth. She gasped, seeing her best friend go through a rather dangerous looking turn, taking her eyes off of the field.

She didn't see the quaffle, knocked out of Marcus Flint's hands by a brutal hit by the other team's beater, that was soaring through the air, right towards where she was standing. "Granger! Watch out!" Flint called across the crowd noise, getting her attention, only it was too late. The quaffle hit her _directly_ in the chest.

The crunch of glass against her skin was palpable and for the first time, Hermione cursed herself for ever picking up that time turner again! She had _thought_ it was a smart idea, when she'd found the time turner that she'd used in third year hidden in McGonagall's office during the restoration of Hogwarts, to take it. She felt the familiar chain in her hand, and she hadn't been able to stop herself from putting it around her neck, letting the familiar weight settle against her chest, under her clothes. It was the last remaining time turner, and she felt a weird sense of _responsibility_ for it. Like she was the only in the wizarding world who could take care of it.

But, Merlin, _now_ she wanted to swear at her stupidity for continuing to wear it, as the familiar feel of the time turner _working_ ran through her body. Time around her seemed to move and spin, people whizzing by her in dizzying succession. She closed her eyes, willing it to stop, hoping and praying that she hadn't made a colossal error in judgement all those months ago.

Finally, it stopped. Hermione opened bleary brown eyes and noticed immediately that the Quidditch pitch was blessedly empty. She fell to her knees, breathing in huge gulps of air, trying to get her bearings. She could hear her blood pounding in her ears, but slowly, surely, she got back to her center of gravity and she just hoped, prayed, she hadn't gone back to before Voldemort was defeated.

A surprised gasp caught her attention, followed shortly by a squeal of childish delight. "MUMMY!" Hermione looked up to see a little boy, maybe five years old, with curly dark brown hair and bright blue eyes come running...towards her? Surely, the little boy didn't think that she was _his_ mummy? By the time the boy got to her, he had his arms open wide, running to catch her in a hug. She was so surprised that even the little weight of him sent her flying onto her side.

She lifted up her arms to cradle him against her chest, instinctively. Sure, the little boy was _mistaken_ in thinking that she was his mum, but it wasn't as though she was going to let him get hurt. The boy lifted his head, smiling at her. "Mummy, I thought you were in 'Stralia with Holly and Grandma and Grandpa."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eric, where did you go?" A voice called from the edge of the pitch, and Hermione was surprised to realize that she _recognized the voice._ Looking up from the little boy, she was surprised to see Marcus Flint, striding over towards them with purpose. He looked a bit _older_ than the last time that she saw them, but his hair was as dark as ever, and he looked as strong as ever.

"Daddy, look, I found, mummy." The little boy, Eric, said, looking quite pleased with himself.

She wasn't able to see Marcus's reaction, because he was reaching down, plucking Eric off of her, before offering her his arm to lift her off the ground. He picked her up as though she weighed nothing, before peering at her face. "Hermione, I thought you'd gone to visit your parents."

"My parents?" She asked helplessly, before grabbing the chain that hung around her neck, broken time turner dangling from it. "I think something has happened." Was he confirming what Eric had said? That Eric...was their son? After all, the little boy had called him daddy, and her mummy, so...

She felt her thoughts begin to swirl around in her head, and it felt like she might be sick. Was it possible that the time turner had sent her forward in time? All of the warnings about the terrible things that happened to wizards and witches who meddled with time came running through her mind and she could feel herself swaying, her knees buckling, until everything went black…

* * *

The next time that Hermione woke up she was in a comfortable bed, but an unfamiliar location. She could see Harry sleeping in a nearby chair, his glasses slightly askew. She giggled, thinking that he looked rather uncomfortable. Turning, her attention was caught by a picture frame on the nightstand. She picked it up, horrified to realize that it was a wedding photo of her and _Marcus Flint_.

Her horrified gasp must have started Harry awake, because he was fixing her glasses. "Hermione? What is it? What's wrong?"

"When did I get married to Flint?" She asked, her voice wavering, wondering just what would have happened to change their working relationship into a romance. Flint was _always_ avoiding coming to see her during training, even to his detriment. She took it a bit personally that he didn't seem to respect her professional opinions about when he might need a bit of healing, so she couldn't imagine ever getting married...or making a child with him.

"Oh, um, seven years ago, abouts. It was a really great time." Harry said. "Marcus thought you'd want to see a friendly face when you woke up. I understand you have questions. He showed me the time turner, so I take it that you...went forward?"

She could agree that that is what seemed to have happened, even though it wasn't what should have happened at all. Time turners were only meant to go back in time, not forwards. "What year is it? Where did the time turner go?"

"It's 2008." Harry said, first. "We took the time turner to the Department of Mysteries. You have always known that this was going to happen...I guess seeing as you've already lived this before...and you've been freelancing there for years. They have a solution to send you back, just...it's going to take a week."

"A week?!" Hermione squeaked, thinking about all of the horrible things that she might cause to happen. "But what about future me? I could go mad if we run into one another."

"I think, um...future you, must have known this was going to happen. You just took your daughter, Holly, to Australia to visit your parents. You won't be back for another two weeks." Harry said, running his hand through messy black hair. Hermione could see where Harry had aged as well.

Hermione looked down in her lap, quietly. "So that means...that little boy is really my son?" She asked, feeling conflicted. One the one side, she felt a surge of maternal tenderness, but on the other side, she was so confused about what would make her want to procreate with Flint. "With Flint?"

Harry gave her a funny little grin. "Yes, you named him for me, too. Eric Harry Flint. Should have seen your mother-in-law's face when you and Marcus told her what you were naming him."

It was nice to learn that her friend was still a part of her life, and really, the name was perfect. She could definitely see herself wanting to name her son after Harry, though she was a bit petrified thinking about her...well, future mother-in-law. "Harry, are Marcus and I...well, happy?" She asked cautiously, not sure if she was prepared for the answer.

Harry snorted. "Yes, disgustingly so. You two are like teenagers still, always sneaking off for a snog. It always makes coach a bit barmy." So, she was still working with the Falcons, then, she thought. "I'll go let him know you're up. I know Eric was really worried to see you faint."

Before she could protest, to say that she wanted a little more time to herself, Harry was already hauling himself up from his seat, and heading out the door. It was only a few minutes before Marcus was peeking his head back in the room, Eric balanced on his hip as though the boy was weightless. "Hermione, can we come in?" He asked quietly.

Hermione nodded, not willing to speak at the moment. She'd never really _looked_ at Marcus Flint, the way she was looking at him now. Of course she knew that he was ridiculously built...he was a Professional chaser after all, but now she was appreciating him in a whole new way, trying to see what it was about him that attracted her to him in the first place. His arms looked so strong, she thought, admiring the ropey muscle that she could see under his tshirt. She supposed that his dark hair was rather nice, and so were his cornflower blue eyes. She'd never even noticed what kind of eyes he'd had before, because he was usually scowling at her. His nose had obviously been broken, but it wasn't unattractive.

He gave her a smile, sitting in the chair that Harry had just vacated. Of course, she'd noticed when he'd gotten his teeth fixed, but she'd never seen how...good he could look, with a warm smile on his lips. "How are you feeling babe-err-Granger? You gave me quite a scare out on the pitch?" He asked, his normally gruff voice a bit gentler, just for her.

She was a bit stunned at having him _nearly_ call her babe. The idea of Flint using a pet name to describe her was nearly preposterous. She flushed when she looked up at him again, meeting his eyes. "Yes, it was just...a lot to take in. I am sorry to have worried you."

"Don't worry. I figured it out pretty quickly as soon as I saw the time turner." He said running his fingers through dark hair, his other hand effectively trapping Eric against his body, though the little boy was desperate to get to her.

"You knew this would happen?" She asked, feeling her maternal instincts tugging, seeing the little boy so upset and wanting to comfort him. She was sure that it would have been frightening for him, too, to see her faint.

"Well, you told me this had happened. Not right away of course, and you never told me _when_ it happened, but yes, I knew." He looked down at the struggling boy. "Eric, mummy was is still a little sore from earlier today. You can't go crawling all over her, because it might hurt her."

Hermione's eyebrows knit together. "I don't mind." She blurted out, raising the covers so that the little boy could join her in bed. Marcus hesitated for a moment, before letting his son go clambering up into the bed with her, cuddling into her side. She kissed the dark, curly hair on his head. "I know it must have been scary for him, and well...I don't want to traumatize him. Let's just try and make him think this is as normal as possible. What would you be doing usually...if I hadn't gone to Australia." She desperately hoped the little boy didn't have enough understanding to figure out what she was talking about.

"Well, it's Sunday, so usually Eric and I will do some flying in the garden and then we all have dinner as a family. Why don't I take him outside, and you can join us downstairs when you are ready?" He offered, cautiously. "If you are up to it, of course."

"No, that would be lovely." Hermione responded, sitting up and handing the boy over to his father. He was exceedingly excited at the word flying, so she could tell that he clearly took after Marcus in that respect.

After Marcus had left the room, Hermione cautiously got out of the bed, hoping that her legs would hold her. She was still a bit wobbly, but quickly got her bearings, excited to look around the room. It did look a lot like a room she would pick for herself, only slightly more neutral, which she supposed was Marcus's influence. He certainly seemed rather spartan, from what she knew of him in the... well, past.

Cautiously walking down the stairs, she looked for the kitchen, taking note of all of the pictures up on the walls, including one of a new little baby, who must be Holly. She took comfort in knowing that even if she didn't end up with a man she thought she would, at least they were happy enough from the looks of all the pictures up on the walls.

The kitchen was easily found, and she was delighted to see a pot of bolognese sauce simmering away on the stove top. It filled the room with a pleasant, homey scent. There was a table in the kitchen, set for three. That wasn't something she would expect, either, given that Marcus was a pureblood and she imagined that he'd grown up eating in grand ballrooms.

Hermione looked around for a pot, before filling it with boiling water, using her wand. She accioed some pasta, wondering how much to make. Looking out the window, she could see Marcus standing on the ground while Eric flew on a little practice broom. It seemed like Marcus was actually a really great father, from what she could see, giving well... _their_ son, proper encouragement.

She looked back down at the box of pasta in her hand, and decided to just make it all. Obviously, Marcus was a large fellow, so he would probably want a lot for dinner. By the time that the pasta was done, the two boys were making their way back into the house. "Thanks Her-Granger, you didn't have to do that." Marcus said, settling into the spot and the head of the table, and getting a plate together for Eric.

Hermione happily took the seat on the other side of the table. "It was no trouble, you made the sauce after all." She was glad that she made all of the pasta, judging by how much Marcus dished for himself.

He looked up at her and actually _blushed_ a bit, running his hand through his hair. "Actually, you made it for us, before you left. You always knew that I was a bet helpless with the cooking, but I can heat up frozen stuff alright."

That certainly sounded more like the Marcus that she knew. The rest of the dinner was spent talking to Eric about some of his favorite things, and she enjoyed hearing that he had some things in common with her, too, including an apparently rather impressive collection of books. She was even more surprised to learn that he was going to muggle school before Hogwarts, and that he seemed to enjoy it as much as he did.

After dinner, Hermione had promised to read Eric and story and tuck him in, so she followed the little boy up the stairs, helping him into some dragon pajamas, after Marcus had helped him brush his teeth. He eagerly listened to her while she read alternate pages, listening patiently while he sounded out the words on the other pages. It didn't take long before he was drifting off to dreamland.

Giving him a fond smile, Hermione stood up from the bed, only to see Marcus looking at her with a happy little smile. When she met him in the hallway, he whispered quietly to her. "You were always a natural mum. It took me a lot longer to get the handle of things."

They walked back towards their bedroom, and Hermione suddenly felt a bit of awkwardness settle between them, when they didn't have Eric to act as a buffer between them. It was weird to be pretending as though she knew Marcus when she'd barely spoken to him before in the past, let alone, to pretend like their situation wasn't odd. Sure, she was seeing a new side to Marcus, but she still couldn't really wrap her head around their relationship.

As soon as they got into their bedroom, Marcus was pulling his shirt up over his head, not seeming at all bothered by the expanse of skin that he was revealing to her. But why should he, Hermione wondered? After all they were married. It wasn't as though future her wouldn't have seen Marcus naked before. Still, she felt her mouth go a bit dry, watching the way the muscles moved in his arms and back.

She made a little noise when he dropped his jeans to the floor, and he suddenly seemed to remember the situation they found themselves in. He apologized to her sheepishly, before hurrying to pull on a pair of pajama pants, but still no top...

He guided her to a closet, and opened one of the drawers. "This is where you keep your pajamas. I can go sleep downstairs on the couch. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." He kept his eyes firmly on the clothes in the drawer, rather than making eye contact with her.

"No!" She said suddenly, surprising even herself. "I won't kick you out of your bed...and like I said, I want to keep things as normal as possible for Eric. What if has a nightmare and comes in here. I don't want him to think we are fighting." She blushed and kept her eyes on the pajamas, too. They were certainly a bit racier than what she would normally wear.

Marcus gave her a cautious smile. "Alright, if that's what you want. I'll just let you change then." He turned and left the walk in closet, and Hermione turned her attention to looking for the least sexy option. She finally found a cotton pajama set in _suspiciously_ Slytherin green and silver, but she put them on anyway.

She hurried to the en suite bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, before returning to face the inevitable - a large bed and a very shirtless Marcus in it. Hermione walked purposefully into the other room, trying to ignore the pointed raised eyebrow he gave her when he saw her attire. She hoped he knew it had nothing to do with _him_ in particular, just the situation that they found themselves in.

Tucking herself into "her" side of the bed, she placed her wand on her bedside table. "Goodnight, Marcus. See you in the morning." She said, hoping that sleep would come easy. She kept herself rolled onto her side, and facing away from him.

"Goodnight, Hermione." She could hear the amusement in his voice.

* * *

Hermione was woken up by a small boy trying to weasel his way in between her and whatever it was she was holding. Opening up her bleary eyes, Hermione noticed that at some point in the the night, Marcus had thrown an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him, and she in turn had pressed her head into his bare chest, and had a leg up over his. All the memories of the previous day came back to her.

That meant that the little boy could be none other than Eric. Pushing herself away from Marcus, she let Eric snuggle in between them. "Mummy, do I have to go to school today? I want to stay home with you and daddy!"

Before she could think of an answer to give him, Marcus's rumbling voice from next to her spoke. "Eric, you know you can't stay home today. Besides you love school." Turning to look at Hermione, Marcus didn't seem at all embarrassed by the position that they'd gotten themselves into. "I'll go get him some breakfast and then we can walk him to school. Take your time getting ready." He pressed a kiss to her temple, perhaps only doing it out of habit.

Hermione got up and went into her closet as soon as the boys were gone. It didn't take long for her to find a dress that she owned in the past hanging up that she quite liked, and slipped it on, before freshening up for the day. When she finally made her way down the stairs, Marcus was eating with Eric - rice krispies and banana - and it made her heart clench a little bit to see them together. She joined them, grabbing a banana for herself. Although this wasn't the kind of future that she would have imagined herself having, she couldn't deny that it seemed very happy and loving.

Once they were all ready, they left to go walk to Eric's school. Hermione was surprised to learn that they lived in Falmouth, on the very end of a muggle street, in an impressive looking stone house that Marcus called the Lodge.

Eric grabbed each of his parents, asking to be swung back and forth between the two of them. Wanting to make small talk with Marcus, she started cautiously. "I am surprised that Eric goes to muggle school. Did that...cause a lot of discussion?"

Marcus made a little snort that lead Hermione to believe it was at least a bit contentious. "Well, my mum wasn't too thrilled, but it was something you wanted, so I've always supported it. It's good to have him socialized and learning before he's off to Hogwarts - I could barely string two sentences together." Ruffling his son's curly hair, he smiled at the little boy. "Plus, he _loves_ it, so it's hard to argue."

Hermione smiled, glad to learn that her husband was a partner in all aspects of their life. "That's lovely to hear. What do the other parents make of us?" She asked, knowing that it was probably difficult for their son not to reveal the truth about magic to his friends.

"You're a private doctor, of course." Marcus said, with a lopsided grin. "And we tell people I'm a semi-professional rugby player. Helps to explain some of the bruises. They all wonder how I landed someone so successful."

She grinned at that knowing that he didn't let her do much healing of his injuries in the past. "Hm, sound like some things never change. You really don't let me help you feel better?" Surely, they must have gotten to a point in their relationship that he didn't worry about not seeming "manly" enough for being injured.

Marcus turned and gave her quite the lascivious grin. "Oh, you help me feel better alright. Just...sometimes it feels a bit better to have you heal me at home rather than at the grounds. Makes it a little more...private."

The brunette felt her cheeks heat up in absolute embarrassment. Not that she was embarrassed by sex, just that...well, she'd never seen this flirty side to Marcus before, and being put on the spot like that made her insides go a bit funny. It felt wrong to like this version of Marcus...as though she were cheating on her future self.

Luckily, she was saved by the sight of Eric's school, and she gave him a quick hug and a kiss goodbye, before watching him run off to meet the other children. Marcus yelled back to him that they would pick him up when he was finished.

But then, they were alone again, and without Eric to act as a buffer, she still felt a bit odd. She had so many questions for Marcus about their future, but she didn't really know what was appropriate. "So, how did we get together anyway. Where I've just come from, I always assumed that you despised me...you're rather gruff, and...you refuse to be alone in the same room with me."

He ran his hands through his dark colored hair, his nose scrunched up in thought, which Hermione found rather cute. "I don't know if I should tell you the particulars of how we got together. I don't want to chance ruining this future that we have with one another. You know that time travel theory makes my head go a bit funny."

"I didn't." Hermione said with a grin, but it was nice to know that she spoke to him about it. She was sure that after everything that had happened...her being sent to the future and all that...she would want to figure out how exactly that had happened. Hermione wanted to argue with him that everything that was going to happen had already happened, so there was no worry in him messing anything up.

"But, to answer your question...I don't despise you. I never have to be honest." That was a surprise, because she was pretty sure that everyone in Slytherin house had hated her at some point. She remembered rather badly embarrassing the Slytherin quidditch squad at one point. "In fact, I had the biggest crush on you when you started at Falmouth, and well, I always thought that I would embarrass myself horribly if I let you near me in any state of undress."

Her cheeks heated up at that again. "It's a completely natural reaction. You can't help it." She tried to reassure him, though she couldn't say for certain _what_ she would have done if Marcus Flint had gotten an erection while she was healing him in the past...now, though, who knew.

"Ha, I realize that now, but...back before we were together, I couldn't imagine such a horrible fate than to have been rejected by you. Humiliated. At least if I kept my distance, I knew that you would never know how I felt and then, you couldn't hurt me."

Hermione bit her lower lip. "So I have to make the first move then?"

Marcus knocked shoulders with her, laughing. "Tricky witch. I should have known better than to give you any hints."

"Will...future me be jealous of this time that we got together? Of...us sharing a bed, and all that?" She asked cautiously. It felt a bit wrong to have a crush on Marcus when he wasn't her husband, or at least not yet. But she couldn't help it. He was so much different than she ever would have expected, and seeing the way he was with Eric made her long for this future. Of course, she'd always found him attractive in his own way, but now she'd seen his body as well, and...she was going to be haunted by the memory of him pressed against her in the night.

"No." Marcus shook his head, sounding awfully sure of himself. "After all, you and future you are the same person. And future you knows everything that is happening now already. She left for Australia knowing that you would be coming her and all of the things that you would do while you were here."

She nibbled her lower lip again. "Perhaps she might think that seeing me like this that you might be...longing for me as a younger woman again?"

"Don't worry, future you is completely aware of how attracted I am to her, and she never _ever_ feels unappreciated." Marcus said, smirking at her. Hermione couldn't help herself from groaning. Merlin, it felt wrong, but she really wanted to know what it felt like to be appreciated by Marcus.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by with relative speed. Marcus and Hermione would drop Eric off at school every morning and pick him up as well. She was off work while she was in Australia, so Hermione would spend time at their home while Marcus went to training every day. She did spend some of her time snooping through photo albums that she probably aught not to have, but it was exciting to see the wedding she was going to have, or pictures of Eric from when he was a baby, or to see the other child that she had, a little girl called Holly. They made a very cute family, Hermione decided.

When Marcus would get home from training, he would always make his way up to their bedroom to shower. She would have to sit on the couch, her hands glued under her legs, to not go up and follow him...she was incredibly curious to see what he looked like completely naked, but she knew that would be wrong...better to let that kind of thing happen naturally.

There was _one_ time when Marcus was bothered by a knot in his shoulder, and Hermione had finally insisted she let him help her, after he accidentally smacked her in the face, trying to work it out himself. He'd laid flat on his stomach on the floor in their living room, and Hermione had lifted up his shirt, her mouth going a bit dry to see the tight muscle of his back. He was...gorgeous.

It felt wonderful to let her fingers touch his skin - hot and smooth - while she found the knot and worked it out slowly. He hadn't been able to stop the moan of appreciation when she finally got it out, but continued to kneed the sore muscle. She clenched her thighs together, trying to chase away the ache that had formed there, when she considered that must be what he sounded like when they were...intimate. Godric, she couldn't wait to get back to her proper time and find out for herself.

After they picked up Eric from school, Hermione would make them dinner from the frozen meals that she had prepared before she left for Australia. Marcus helped her sometimes, knowing his way around the kitchen - something that only endeared him to her more. She was sure that transitioning to a semi-muggle home was difficult for the pureblood wizard.

Marcus would spend some time showing Eric how to fly a broom every evening, and Hermione loved to watch from the kitchen window. She could admit that her son was a natural on a broom, so she supposed it was good to get him comfortable on it early. Shaking her head, though, she wondered how Quidditch had taken over her life, when she herself _hated_ flying so much.

She said as much to Marcus one night, and he revealed another bit about their future to her. "You don't hate it so much any more. One of my proudest achievements was teaching you to fly a broom, when we were just still dating." Internally, Hermione wondered if she'd actually enjoyed that or if she was just trying to impress him.

Other nights, they would play a board game together. But each night, Hermione would read her future son a bedtime story, and every night she would find Marcus looking at her fondly from the doorway. It was nice to see that he was just as happy with their family as she knew she would be.

Saturday finally came, though, and Hermione knew that the day after she would be returning to her past. According to Harry, who'd written her a note, all of her research had been perfect so far, and they were nearly ready to complete the time turner. She was excited to go back, but she knew that she was going to miss Marcus and Eric when she returned. She tried to stay positive, reminding herself that she was going to get to go through all of the fun of dating Marcus and then getting married, and _then_ having a family.

She'd made omelets - which apparently the boys _adored_ \- for breakfast and tried to refrain from reading the Daily Prophet that Marcus had open to the sports section. "So, it's Saturday. That means no school _and_ no training. What should we do today?" She asked, wanting to take advantage of every moment she had left with them until she had to go back.

"Well, I had promised Eric that we would go to the zoo when we thought it was just going to be a boys weekend, but you are welcome to come with us." He teased her. She wondered when the normally gruff Marcus finally showed her this cheeky side of himself to her...how long it would take him to open up to her.

After breakfast was finished, Marcus sent her and Eric up to change for the zoo, while he handled the dishes. Hermione was determined to enjoy the day to the fullest, so she found comfortable clothing that she still hoped would look cute. Even though he wasn't her husband yet, didn't mean that she couldn't dress up for him a little bit.

They apparated to the outskirts of the zoo, before walking in, seeing as it was muggle. That got Hermione's mind wandering to if there was such a thing as a wizarding zoo. With all of the fantastic beasts, she was sure that there had to be some kind of place to see them all. Eric ran ahead, taking them to the arctic area, and they stood watching a polar bear swim up to the glass repeatedly, it's nose pressing to the glass. The five year old found this endlessly fascinating, but eventually he was persuaded to see the other animals. Hermione was particular to the penguins after all.

They spent most of the afternoon keeping up with the energetic boy, walking through the different parts of the zoo. Eric proclaimed that the giraffes were his favorite - "They are so tall, just like you, daddy!" Marcus's cheeks had gone a little pink at that.

Before long, the trio came across a playground and Eric begged to play with the other children there for a while. Marcus agreed, leading Hermione to a bench so they could keep an eye on him. "I wish he could stay that little forever." He confessed to her quietly. "I don't remember being so excited about something as simple as seeing an animal in a long time."

Hermione made a small noise of agreement. "Yes, just imagine, soon he will be growing up and headed off to Hogwarts and playing Quidditch. He'll forget to write as often as he should, and find himself chasing girls." She pursed her lips together. "Holly, too."

Marcus nudged her shoulder. "Don't remind me. The thought of any boy being around my little girl makes me anxious enough as it is." Hermione giggled at him, wanting to tell him that she was still a toddler, and even then, it was part of life that his children should grow up and find love. "No, really, I was a teenage boy once, and I remember all the disgusting thoughts I had about girls, hormones racing all the time. Hell, you still inspire some now and I'm a grown man."

She felt her heartbeat race at his words, wanting nothing more than to hear exactly what kind of thoughts he had about her. Instead, she reached out to grab his hand. "We will just have to teach both of them to be respectful, and confident in themselves. Trust that they will make the right decisions."

He looked at her, those blue eyes boring into her. "Yes, of course. You always know exactly how to calm me down." They stayed there, looking at one another, until Hermione blushed and looked away.

"It's getting late. We should get home." Hermione said, standing up from the bench, needing to put some space between her and Marcus so she didn't do something foolish. "I know you have a game tomorrow." She went and collected Eric from the swing set before he couldn't say anything else.

Eric had burned himself out with all the excitement of going to the zoo, but he was a bit too heavy for Hermione to carry for any extended distance. Instead, Marcus placed the little boy on his hip again, making her feel very wistful. As soon as his head hit Marcus's shoulder, the little boy was out like a light. "Will you be able to apparate home?" He asked her, cautiously, knowing how much Hermione hated side-along.

"Yes, I will meet you there." Hermione told him, when they finally found a hidden spot to apparate from. By the time she'd returned home, Eric was barely awake, but Marcus was trying to get him to eat a little bit of macaroni and cheese before bedtime. The boy made a valiant effort, but in the end, he was much too sleepy, and a little bit cranky and had to be put to sleep. She asked Marcus if she could do the work, knowing that it was her last night in the future.

He understood. "Would you like a nightcap before bed, once he's asleep? I'll make a fire in the fireplace." He offered, seeming uncharacteristically shy. She bit her lower lip, wondering if she'd be able to keep her hands off him, but finally nodded, knowing that it would be a long time before she could have this kind of conversation with Marcus in the future.

She snuggled with Eric for just a few moments, sad to say goodbye to him, but glad to know that she would get him back some day in the future. Hermione waited until he fell asleep before making her way downstairs to meet Marcus. She could hear the crackling and popping of a fire in the fireplace, and she was a bit disappointed that she hadn't been able to watch him making it. She was sure that seeing him build a fire would have been...very enjoyable to see.

Marcus handed her a glass of firewhiskey which she took gladly before settling next to him on the couch. "It's going to be weird going back to...not having all of this. I have to say, I was really _confused_ to come here and learn that I was married to Marcus Flint." She gave him a smile, before taking a sip. "But, now I am really excited to know what the future holds."

"It's been hard for me...not being able to treat you the way that I usually do." Marcus said, leaning into her. "Not to be able to hold you the way I want or call you whatever I want, or to kiss you…" He trailed off, his eyes falling to her lips, and for a moment, Hermione thought he might actually go through with kissing her.

Only she pulled back. "We shouldn't." She said, looking at the glass balanced in her lap. "I mean...I'd rather my first kiss with you be...your first kiss with me, too." She giggled at the statement realizing how ridiculous that sounded. "Only now I have to actually get you to talk to me!" She said, running her hand over her face.

Marcus made a little noise of agreement. "It's true, I did go out of my way to try and avoid you. Sometimes I'd wait until after you'd leave the grounds to have an ice bath." He admitted, taking a drink. "I don't think you will have too difficult of a time to convince me, just...I might be a little surly and embarrassed, so don't take it personally."

She could understand where he would be coming from. After all, she had a wealth of knowledge of what was going to happen, whereas her Marcus would be completely clueless about what was yet to come. "I promise I won't." She gave his hand a little squeeze before throwing back the rest of her drink. She needed to get to sleep soon, or else she might not be able to stop herself from kissing Marcus. "Well, I think it's time for bed for me. See you in the morning?" Her future husband nodded at her, wishing her sweet dreams, and a promise that he would be up in not too long.

* * *

Hermione stood on the pitch of the Falmouth Falcons, wearing the same outfit that she arrived in. Earlier, she'd told Eric that she was going back to Australia to pick up Holly, and that she would be back in a few days. He was disappointed, but gave her the biggest hug and kiss, and she'd felt tears well in her eyes at the thought of leaving him, even if it was only for a few years.

Marcus and Harry waited with her while some wizards from the Department of Mysteries prepared her time turner to send her back. It looked good as new. "Can't you even tell me what it was you did to fix it?" Hermione complained to the unknown wizards.

"Don't worry." One said with a stern look that promised he wasn't going to be revealing _any_ secrets. "You will figure it out on your own. You've got a few years to do it."

With that, Hermione turned to say goodbye to Harry and Marcus. "I'm glad I got to see the both of you here, even it was just for a little while." Hermione said, her heart aching at the thought of leaving, but still wanting to go. "But, I suppose, see you in a few minutes?"

They both nodded at her, wishing her the best of luck on her journey. Once the time turner was around her neck, they had her lie down about where she thought she would have landed after Marcus hit her with a quaffle. And then, with a spin, she was off.

The whir of light and sound was slightly less jarring this time around, but Hermione was positive that she wouldn't want to do something like this ever again. When it stopped, she heard the roar of the crowd again, eager for the game to get started, and _her_ Marcus was standing over her. "Merlin, Granger, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you." He said, embarrassed and looking at his feet. He grabbed her by the waist - well, a little higher than the waist - and lifted her up onto her feet as though she were weightless. Judging by the pink in his cheeks, he knew that he'd gotten a little more than side.

Hermione smoothed her clothing and gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it Flint. It's a hazard of the profession, I'm afraid." She watched him nod, wanting to say something more, but instead an uncomfortable silence lingered between them. After a moment, he turned to return to his warmups. She was determined not to let him get away that easily.

* * *

Hermione had hid in her office, with the lights out, reading a boring old manual and generally trying to make as little noise as possible. Future Marcus had said that he used to come to take ice baths after she left, so she hoped that she could ambush him. Sure, it probably wasn't the _nicest_ thing to do, but she was going to go after what she wanted.

It didn't take long for her to hear someone walk into the training room, and a few mumbles of spells had the tub filling up with icy water. She held her breath, not wanting to betray her position, until she finally heard whoever it was dip into the water with a hiss of breath. Hermione counted to thirty, before she cautiously stood from her desk, walking as silently as possible towards the door of her office, before flinging it open.

She couldn't help the smirk that came across her face when she found that it was a rather shirtless Marcus Flint occupying her tub, looking very shocked and a bit nervous at coming face to face with _her_. "Granger? What are you still doing here?" He bit out - sounding truly a bit surly.

"I should ask you the same question, Marcus." Hermione said, her hands on her hips while she made her way to the edge of the tub. He was naked except for his skivvies, and she was not disappointed by what she saw. "I'd almost think you were trying to _avoid_ me, never taking me up on any offer of healing, and then sneaking into the training room to take ice baths." She teased.

"I'm not-" Marcus said, looking down at his lap, perhaps feeling very self conscious while he was in such a state of undress. "I wasn't avoiding you."

"Good." Hermione said with a smile. "Because you see, when you hit me with that quaffle earlier-" Marcus made to apologize again, but she just held up a hand to quiet him, "you hit my time turner, and I took a little trip to the future. And I really liked what I found there." She pulled the time turner from the blouse, and she felt a jolt of pleasure through her body when she noticed the way his eyes lingered on the skin that shirt exposed while she fiddled with the gold chain.

He finally looked up at her confused, his blue eyes looking _exactly_ as she remembered them. "I was in your future?" He asked, clearly not putting two and two together. _Yet._

"Yes, you were." She said, biting her lower lip. She needed to gather all of her courage, in order to ask him what she was dying to. "And so...I was wondering if you'd like to go out on a date with me?" She looked at him hopefully, feeling her heart so completely on display, and she hoped that he wouldn't crush it. She hoped that he would recognize her show of vulnerability for what it was.

The silence stretched on and on, until Hermione finally looked away from him, unable to stand it a moment longer. Maybe she'd made a terrible mistake asking him like this...cornering him like an angry animal. She felt tears prick at the back of her eyes while she wondered if she might have just destroyed the whole future she'd just come from, having been entirely too pushy. "It's fine." She said, still unable to meet his eyes, though she could feel him looking at her. She was sure that he could see the anguish that was on her features, while she turned away, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. "Just forget I asked." She said, feeling a lump form in her throat.

Before she could get to the door though, he was calling after her. "Granger, wait!" He said. A great slosh of water followed, and she turned to see Marcus climbing out of the tub, his skin covered in goose flesh from the air. His boxers were skin tight against his legs and crotch, but she didn't let her eyes stray, not wanting him to be more embarrassed than he already probably was.

He crossed the distance between them, until she was eye level with his chest. Sighing, she tried not to think about what a _nice_ chest it was, and how lovely it had felt to sleep on that chest. One of his hands came to cradle her cheek, making her look up to his face. She nearly gasped to see the surprised, but _tender_ look in his eyes. "Granger, do you really want to go on a date with _me_?"

She bit her lower lip, before nodding. "Yes, I'd like to go on a date with you, but...only if you want to go with me." She felt her heart pounding against her chest with the nerves. "I don't want you to...feel obligated or sorry for me-"

Marcus cut her off with a kiss, his mouth slanting against hers. She gasped in surprise, only to moan when he pressed into her mouth, his tongue caressing hers with surprising skill. He pressed himself against her, until there wasn't an inch of space between them, neither one of them caring that he was soaking wet, and freezing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, eager to work with the massive height difference between them, even with her heels on.

His hands came back to her waist, lifting her up until she came to wrap her legs around his middle, gasping when she could feel him reacting to her, his cock growing hard between the two of them. She ran her fingers through his hair, loving the sound of his groan rumbling through his chest. Marcus walked her back, until she was resting on the exam table.

He asked, his voice deep and dark, sending a shiver up her spine.

Cheeks pink, Hermione shook her head, glad to know that she hadn't already ruined her chance at a happy future with Marcus, but rather, he'd just been shy still. She was sure that this wouldn't be the only time that he would doubt _her_ desire for him. She ran her hands from his shoulders, down his chest, delighting in the way that she could make him shiver at her touch, stopping when she met the fabric at his hips. Merlin, she was glad she waited for their first kiss to be like _that_ rather than just giving into her future husband the night before. The tension had been building all week, but this ending was better than she could have imagined.

"Now, I am going to ask again, because I don't want...I would be _hurt_ if I found out later that this was some kind of cruel joke, Granger." Marcus growled, _literally growled_ at her. "Are you sure you want to go on a date with a big troll like me?"

"You aren't a troll, Marcus." Hermione scolded with a roll of her eyes. "To be honest, ever since I've been at Falmouth, I've found you quite handsome." She admitted, knowing that it was true. The distance he kept between them kept any real longing from forming. "And I would like _nothing_ more than to go on a date with you."

He gave her that cheeky grin that she remembered distinctly from the future, before grinding his cock against her center once again, chuckling at her low moan. "Really, nothing more?" He asked, teasing her. "Salazar, I should write a thank you note to future me...whatever he showed you...but then, I guess, future me, is me...this is making my head hurt…" Suddenly the suave Marcus that just teased her was fading away to the shy Marcus she knew and honestly, she found it a bit adorable.

"Haha, tell me about it." Hermione said with a laugh, wanting him to know that she found it just as insane. "Pick me up tonight at 8?" She asked hopefully.

Marcus looked at her thoughtfully, before pressing one last kiss to her lips. "I'll be there, pushy witch." He told her with a smile, before helping her down from the exam table, righting her on her feet. "Maybe you can tell me some of what you saw in the future?"

"Maybe." She confirmed with a grin, wondering just how much she should reveal and when. "See you then!" Hermione confirmed, before turning to leave. He might not know it yet, but she had a date with her future husband to get ready for!


End file.
